Failure-to-Launch Teens & Young Adults

One of the biggest parts of my business is getting failure-to-launch teens and 20-somethings on their feet and out in the world.

Teens and 20-somethings who face challenges starting life on their own is an increasing issue for families today.

I work with families to give a teenager or 20-something increasing independence, confidence, and tools to master his or her future. You can read more about my approach to Failure-to-Launch young people in this blog post.

Failure-to-launch issues, like so many family challenges, is a continuum, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Treatments also fall on a continuum, from traditional therapy to wilderness programs. For many families, I offer an alternative middle ground between these two programs when traditional therapy isn’t enough or the child isn’t comfortable with that structure and a wilderness program is too much or a family wants to get better together.

How I Work

Here are the options I find most effective for working with families with failure-to-launch issues:

Weekend Evaluation/Intensive (WEI): I come to you and work with the entire family, including extended family where appropriate. We spend the weekend working together to evaluate the issue and develop a plan for moving forward. If we think I can be useful, I continue to be involved via regular visits or via Skype/Facetime/phone/text. If the consensus is that I am not the best professional to help your family, I will make recommendations. Often, I work with one family member and other family members may see other professionals.

While the WEI is the most costly option ($2000/day, plus travel) up-front, it often is the most cost-effective option, as I will give you an evaluation as well as a clear path forward at the end of the weekend. Other mental health professionals do not have the opportunity to spend extended time with the entire family in the home milieu as I do: I see the entire landscape and can make connections more quickly than a traditional therapist who only sees a client for 50 minutes a week in his or her office.

Follow-ups: I usually like to follow up with at least a few face-to-face sessions. If you are out of my immediate area and we think that the child is up to it, I can follow up with Skype/Facetime sessions, plus phone and texting, although occasional in-person visits always help. I can do the same with the rest of the family.

Shorter sessions: If the child’s issues are not too deeply entrenched and you live within two hours of southern New Hampshire, it may be possible to help your family with shorter visits. I charge $200/hour, and it may start with a couple of hours a week, and then when everyone is doing better, we can reduce it from there.

Skype/Facetime: It is sometimes possible for me to do exclusively Skype or Facetime with your family, but in my experience it doesn’t work as well as when there is also some face-to-face time. And many young people’s problems are severe enough that using only Skype or Facetime just isn’t going to work.

I encourage you to call or email me so we can discuss your family’s situation and see whether we can come up a plan.

Upcoming Events

Finding Common Ground: Finding Common Ground: Partnering with Parents, Educators, & Students to Reduce Anxiety & Stress in the Public SchoolsMarch 4, 2019 at 6:00 pm – 8:00 pmPuritan Backroom Restaurant, 245 Hooksett Rd, Manchester, NH 03104, USAJoin us for a solution-focused forum for school administrators on the new challenges caused by the epidemic of increased student stress and anxiety. For more information: http://www.jefflevincoaching.com/finding-common-ground-a-program-for-school-administrators/